The truth is that everyone has different needs, and I’ve designed enough bedrooms to know that nightstands need to serve many functions.
So how do you pick the right one? Well, we’ve come up with a simple guide to help you find out:

Metal and wood nightstandReclaimed wood nightstand

1. Measure up! – I’m not actually talking about the width of the nightstand; I’m talking about measuring your bed height! One common mistake people make is they pair up their bed with a nightstand that is either way too high or way too low for them. The top of your bedside table should be just about in line with your mattress, or a few inches taller.

2. Need a drawer or two? Some of you don’t need anything accept for a clock, but others need as much storage as they can get! So decide how much you really need to keep at your bedside…and let’s clean the clutter while we’re at it. If you can live with only 1 drawer, then try and option like this from WShome.com. It has a large opening at the bottom that makes it feel less massive and heavy.WS Home nightstand

3. Shape – Many of us think a nightstand has to be a bulky square box! But that’s not true. I have often used round end tables to solve space problems by tucking them into little corners of the room. Check out this sleek modern nightstand from Roomandboard.com. It’s made from metal and has clean modern lines that can fit in a very tight spot.Room and Board Metal Nightstand

4. Do they need to match?? – NO! The design gods will not come down and strike you dead if you have one round and one rectangular bedside table. Having said that, if you are going to “risk it” and have 2 pieces that are different, then try to get them to match up in height. This way, if you put the same table lamp on each of them, they will line up to create visual balance.

5. Be creative! – If you find an end table, travel chest, tree stump, or want to mix 2 pieces of furniture, go ahead! I currently use a stacked set of vintage suitcases for my night table! Below is a great example from westelm.com. They layered an organic tree trunk and simple X leg table and it looks great!West Elm Tree Trunk

If our little guide helped, share it!
Just remember that your nightstand is usually the first and last piece of furniture you see every day, so pick something you love!